This is a documentary from Chinese Central TV as part of the New Frontiers series which looks at the development of the arts in ancient China.
There is an introduction to how the arts were conceived in the early period, what was the philosophical background to the production of art and so on, which, at this stage, before the introduction of Buddhism, was mainly Confucian and Taoist.
This episode, the first of two on this subject, then looks at the various arts in detail. One particular focus is on the art of calligraphy, which has played such a significant role in Chinese society.
We find out about some of the major figures involved in the genre, what their thoughts were, and what they were trying to express, and what the historical outcome has been.
We meet famous figures who became cult figures in artistic circles, like the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, and we also see some of the most famous works that were produced during that period and other cultural relics.
The film also touches briefly on such matters as music, poetry and painting, and the latter will be taken up in part two, which I will show next week.
The presentation for CCTV has improved a lot recently, and the subtitles, where there some, are clear and easy to read.
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to see an album of stills click here